Poundland’s Horny ‘Elf’ Campaign Is Jingling Its Balls All Over John Lewis’ Ad

UK discount chain Poundland might be known for its dupes of higher-end products, but you really can’t put a price to its bouts of trolling. Aside from its notorious ‘Toblerone’ copycat, the store roped in ‘Elf on the Shelf’ in 2017 to create a NSFW holiday campaign that garnered mixed reactions.

One prank last year consisted of the unofficial mascot “teabagging” a doll with a sachet from tea company Twinings. Understandably, the latter did not take too well with the unauthorized promotion, and emailed a reminder saying that “our marketing and legal teams do not wish for us to be featured in the campaign if along similar lines to last year.”

Which brand might Poundland’s ‘Elf’ poke his nose—and cheeky bits—into next? Seeing as how other retailers successfully piggybacked the John Lewis Christmas advert featuring Elton John without repercussion, the discount chain thought to pounce onto the same bandwagon.

On Wednesday, Poundland shared a graphic showing the ‘Elf’—nicknamed ‘Elfie J’—seated at a piano. He’s clearly not playing music, however, as his new companion, ‘Elvie’, prevents him from doing so with her legs sprayed out on the keys. The concept was also mirrored in real life at Poundland’s flagship Birmingham Corporation Street location.

Poundland’s total marketing budget for its festive campaign this year was just £76.59 (US$98.31). In comparison with premium department store John Lewis, it doesn’t have much money, but, boy if it did, it’d stick with its usual cheeky adverts.